In a few days, crowds of festival -goers will be sweating away in the River and Sky saunas.
But for now, a crew of local artists and friends of the festival are putting some blood, sweat, and tears into giving one of them a makeover.
The saunas are an integral part of the festival — which takes place in the community of Field, about an hour and a half east of Sudbury — according to festival director Peter Zwarich.
"In bringing saunas... we're emulating the Northern Ontario camping experience that most people love," said Zwarich. "Everybody knows a friend who is lucky enough to have a camp with a sauna on the lake up here."
The first River and Sky sauna was a small, refurbished boler trailer that Dan Carnivale — a friend of the festival — a few years back. It was so popular, they sensed they needed more of a sauna to avoid being packed like sardines in the future.
Fortunately, they knew someone who could do it.
Marcel Tell, who ran the concession stand at the first River and Sky in 2012, happens to refurbish large diesel pushers for touring coaches for bands. He turned a 1978 camping trailer into the first official River and Sky sauna.
A smaller second sauna was added last year to accommodate even more people as demand rose. Morning, noon and night, the saunas are packed full of people who make an occasional run down to the river to cool down, or to the bonfires to dry off.
Thanks to the heavy usage over the past few years, the sauna has seen some wear and tear, and needed some refurbishing.
"They’re a point of pride for us... so we want to take good care of them and keep them in good shape,” said Zwarich.
Volunteers fixed up the interior by sanding down any rough edges; rebuilding the fence around the stove to make it taller and safer, and adding a sun motif with pieces of hardwood. They also built new doors out of salvaged pieces of wood, with vintage tools as the handles.
Local artist Hobby Rollin painted a vibrant mural for the exterior, working through mosquitoes and rain the past few weeks to get it done. Coincidentally, the sauna is a great place to escape any mosquitoes or rain at the actual festival.
The saunas are not just for festival-goers either. They’re an important part of the behind-the-scenes experience for River and Sky staff and volunteers as they set up, and tear down, the festival.
The fixed-up sauna will be unveiled at the festival that takes place Thursday, July 20 to Sunday, July 23.
There's just one thing Zwarich wants festival-goers to keep in mind while they enjoy the sauna.
"Keep hydrating."
